The annual World Resources Forum WRF 2017 was held in Geneva, Switzerland on the 24th and 25th October 2017 with over 400 participants. Two years after the establishment of two historic global agreements – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change – leaders and other agents from government, business, research and NGOs came to “UN capital” Geneva, to talk about how to accelerate the Resource Revolution. The two-day conference was opened by Valentin Zellweger, the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations in Geneva. Partner workshops were held on various topics related to the main theme of the WRF 2017 conference, including workshop “International Cooperation on Raw Materials in the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme”, organized by the FORAM Management Committee in coordination with the European Commission. This workshop is related to the Horizon 2020 funded project, FORAM, which aims to develop a platform of international experts and stakeholders that will enhance the international cooperation on raw material policies and investments: Advancing the idea of a World Forum on Raw Materials. Other projects participating in this workshop were four H2020 projects covering the subjects of the International Cooperation Pillar (FORAM, MinFuture, INTRAW and STRADE), eight projects covering the Non-Technology Pillar (MICA, MIN-GUIDE, MINATURA 2020, ProSUM, SCRREEN, MSP-REFRAM, SMART GROUND, IMPACTPapeRec) and one project from the Technology Pillar (VERAM), all in the framework of the framework of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) of the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials and in the funding scheme of Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). They have been chosen for the workshop to improve framework conditions and international cooperation in the raw materials sector from different perspectives. These projects were expected to share their experiences, increase each...

PanAfGeo Work Package 3 is delivering a training to African governments on managing artisanal and small-scale mining. PanAfGeo plays an important role in increasing the geological knowledge of African countries and is focused on helping governments improve estimates of their national mineral reserves in order to have a clearer view of potential revenues and increase bargaining power with mining firms. It is a collaboration between IGF (Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development), the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and its counterpart in Africa, the Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS). The European Commission has also provided financial support for PanAfGeo’s WP3 program, which aims to deliver seven regional training sessions in 2017-2019. The first training session takes currently place in Accra, Ghana September until the 21st, 2017.  More than 40 representatives from Ghana and 11 representatives from the geological surveys in neighbouring countries will be attending the training. The first training session takes currently place in Accra, Ghana until the 21st 2017 of September. The main aim of the workshop is to train staff from the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA), regulatory agencies and the universities involved in the ASM sector to strengthen their capacity to assist ASM operators in Ghana while providing regional perspectives. Particular emphasis will be on how the knowledge and skills resources of the GGSA can be mobilized more actively in the service of ASM operators so as to ensure more profitable, efficient, environmentally friendly, safe and sustainable mining operations in Ghana. ASM operations employ more than 1 million people in Ghana and provide a livelihood to approximately 4-6 million. It is estimated that legal ASM accounts for more than one third of gold exports from Ghana while the share provided by illegal ASM is unknown. Thus, while legal ASM contributes significantly to Ghana’s GDP, illegal mining...

Investing in the European future we want – High Level Group report on maximising the impact of EU Research & Innovation Programmes   On Monday 3rd of July, the “Research & Innovation – shaping our future” conference took place at the Charlemagne Conference Centre in Brussels hosted by Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation. In the context of the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020, a report on the impact of European research and innovation programmes has been introduced by Pascal Lamy, Chair of the High Level Group of Experts set up by the European Commission last September 2016. The report defends 11 recommendations aimed at maximising the impact of the EU’s investment in research and innovation. Click here to download the full...

Data worth hundreds of millions of Euros has been made available through a first version of the European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI). This will enable users to access information and data in INSPIRE compliant formats about geology and earth resources across Europe. The EGDI was launched last Tuesday 14th June at the European Geological Surveys (EGS) Secretariat in Brussels. The interest expressed by the participants and speakers, mainly composed by representatives from EU DGs, was large: Marie Donnelly, Director of Renewables, research and Innovation, Energy Efficiency, (European Commission’s DG Energy) said “The kind of information you are putting together is hugely useful for the EU”, as well as Slavko Solar, DG GROW has confirmed: “EGDI is a great step forward” supported by Chris Steenmans, Head of ICT and Data Management, European Environment Agency (EEA). Positive reactions also came from  the Joint Research Centre (JRC), Constantin Ciupagea Head of Land and Raw Materials (European Commission’s DG), who highlighted: “EGDI is the big platform for EGS. Extremely happy to see EGDI go forward” as well as from Iain Shephard, Head of Maritime Policy Atlantic, outermost regions and Arctic, (European Commission’s DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries,) said “EGDI is a great initiative” and Gilles Ollier Head of Earth Observation (European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation) added :“EGDI has a very important role to play in the in-situ part of Copernicus and GEOSS”. Europe – as does the rest of the world – faces a growing need for access to data on nature, environment and raw materials across the borders in order to manage resources appropriately. The EGDI is a platform for geological data from the geological surveys and it gathers thousands of pan-European and national datasets covering Energy, Groundwater, Mineral Resources, Geohazards and Soil. During his...

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  The General Assembly of the EGU will be held in Vienna, Austria, from 12th to 17th  April 2015. The 2015 theme, A voyage through scales, is an invitation to contemplate the earth’s extraordinary variability extending from milliseconds to its age, from microns to the size of the planet. EuroGeoSurveys will be present at EGU Assembly in three different sessions.   EGU-AOGS (Asia Oceania Geosciences Society) Great Debate on Impact on global geoscience of accelerating Asian research – Mr J. Ludden | Mon, 13 April 15:30–17:00 | Room Y1. This session will address the impact on global geosciences of the rapid growth of scientific and technological research in Asian countries. Some of the topics covered will include the enormous increase in the numbers of papers submitted to scientific journals, participation in international science programs, opportunities and implications of collaboration and mobility of researchers between Asian countries and the West, etc. The Director of the British Geological Survey, Mr John Ludden, will represent EuroGeoSurveys. Mr Ludden has been EuroGeoSurveys’ President in the period 2009-2010. Geoscience Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops –Mr C. Burlet | Wed, 15 April 8:30 -13:00 | Room G10. The main objective of these workshops is to communicate first-hand scientific information to teachers in primary and secondary schools, significantly shortening the time between discovery and textbook. The GIFT workshop provides the teachers with materials that can be directly incorporated into their classroom, to explain related scientific principles or topics. Mr Christian Burlet, from the Geological Survey of Belgium, will present the EU co- funded Minerals4EU Project, and the EuroGeoSurveys book “Minerals in your life”. Communication and Education in Geoscience: Practice, Research and Reflection – Outreach and Public Engagement Case Studies – Ms C. Delfini | Thursday 16 Apr 13:30-13:45 | Room R12....